Chronicle of a race foretold

Mon 18/11 -- No running. Tougher than expected VB session in the evening.

Tue 19/11 -- Endurance run: 10.65 miles @ 8:36/mi (Avg HR: 147 bpm)

Legs still feeling the previous night's session but I decided to press ahead with today's planned run so after breakfast I headed for Kilbogget and Clonkeen parks. Milder day but with a fresh southerly breeze. The target pace was between 8 and 9 minutes per mile whilst keeping the effort under control. Felt good and really enjoyed the run but the stretches into the wind had me working perhaps a bit harder than intended. Fairly tired and legs fairly sore afterwards. Left knee showing some signs of discomfort so a bit worried I might have overdone it the last few days.

Splits: 9:09 8:34 8:41 8:23 8:24 8:18 8:29(w) 8:40(w) 8:16 8:29 9:34 (for 0.65mi)

Wed 20/11 -- No running. Cycle commute. VB session.

Thu 21/11 -- 1h easy: 6.2 miles @ 9:38/mi (Avg HR: 134 bpm)

Out late evening, dark and rainy so threw on a waterproof cycling jacket for added visibility. After standing in the rain for a few minutes stupidly waiting for the Garmin to sync up, I decided to forget about the watch, pace, HR and just run easy for an hour focusing on form and breathing instead. I was genuinely surprised to see the paces afterwards as I felt I'd gone very easy and would be around the 10' mile mark. Loved being out in the rain just tipping along the quiet wet roads.

Fri 22/11 -- Rest

Sat 23/11 -- 1h easy/med: 7 miles inc. Cabinteely parkrun and 6x30" strides

Intended to keep the parkrun easy but ended up running it at roughly 9' mile pace then headed home via Foxrock, throwing in half a dozen strides along the way. Should really do a few more strides on easy days.

Sun 24/11 -- 5.2 mile recovery @ 10:34/mi (Avg HR: 128 bpm)

Just a few very easy miles looping around the bottom section of the Park. Went out before dinner so it was already dark but still bright-enough to see where I was going. Very soft underfoot with some fairly mucky sections. Lovely stuff to end the week.

Have started mulling over running-related goals and plans for next year. Still undecided about following a similar pattern to this year (shorter stuff to start with, maybe even focus on 5k, then go longer after the summer) or trying something different. As usual, thoughts of dipping my toe in the scary world of the marathon enter my head in the aftermath of DCM but I'm still daunted by the commitment required. Just the other day my wife had a dream that I had entered the NY marathon and her reaction was why couldn't I just enter one closer to home ... maybe it's a sign.

Weekly total: 29.1 miles

Wubble Wubble wrote: »

Glad you enjoyed the Irish Life. From reading your report, I'd say you were ahead of me throughout - I finished just ahead of your friend. Best of luck with the Clontarf half.

Loved the course and the conditions. You weren't far behind in the end - another hundred metres and you would have been on top of me I reckon!

I've disregarded the log of late so another bumper update to bring it almost up to date, starting with what turned out to be one of the highlights of 2019 ...

Sat 30/11 -- Clontarf Half Marathon

Pre Race

I really enjoyed the Dublin Half Marathon in September and felt there was a bit more to give, so when a few days later the running club at work offered a subsidised entry to another half marathon, I jumped at the chance. With another couple of months of endurance training under my belt, the prospect of a flat course and a reasonably decent weather forecast, I felt quietly confident I could take a chunk off my 1:38:03 PB so on Friday I nailed my colours to the mast and updated the log with the target: 1h35m.

Race Day

Woke up shortly after 4 AM with anticipation but stayed in bed trying to snooze and rest until it was time to get up and tuck into some race-day breakfast: a bowl of porridge, a banana, a cup of tea and a glass of water. Got the gear ready, bundled up and set off on a gentle 45' spin to Clontarf. Got there around 9 AM, collected my number fairly quickly and paid a visit to the loos before the queues built up. Conditions were as forecast: 5-6°C, a moderate Southeasterly breeze, cloudy but dry. It was too early to start warming up before the 10 AM start so just huddled with a few others under some trees near the start trying to stay warm. A couple of lads next to me were discussing the course and the sections where the wind would hit us most: going out on the wooden bridge and coming back on the causeway. Good to know.

Eventually got rid of the outer layers, changed into my racers, checked in my bag and -after a few dynamic stretches- set off on a short 1 mile warm up jog. Managed to cut it a bit too fine again and by the time I got back, discarded another couple of layers and risked a last-minute visit to the urinals, the race was about to start. Rushed to the starting line and made my way to a spot a few rows behind the 1h30m pacers, where I bumped into a work colleague. A quick handshake and good luck wishes exchanged as the starter was finishing the countdown and off we went. The plan for today: steady 7:15-7:20 pace for the early miles then at some point pick it up to low 7 minute miles.

Race

A little bit of congestion off the line on the narrow promenade but kept patient and very soon space started opening up. A few glances at the watch to check the pace and very soon the first mile beeped at 7:17.5 - bang in the middle of my target range. Still on the promenade, I found myself running alongside a chap in a white Decathlon cap (I have the exact same one so it caught my eye). We ran side by side for a short while but the pace started dropping towards 7:2x so I decided to push on. Half way through the second mile came the sharp right turn onto the Wooden Bridge and into a fair headwind, which I was expecting but still managed to get to that point a bit isolated. A few seconds ahead was a female runner in a tri suit tucked right behind a tall guy that was striding along comfortably and seemed to be pacing her. I had a decision to make: bridge the gap or face a mile-long stretch into the breeze on my own. Decided to go for it, picked up the pace and, although it took me a few hundred metres, I finally reeled them in wondering if I would pay for this spurt later. Second mile in 7:18 - so far so good.

Settled in behind them but I was still being hit by the headwind. Tried to position myself slightly to their right, then slightly to their left, but it just didn't seem to make any difference so I just gave up trying and kept going with them for the rest of the stretch on the Bull Wall. Shortly after we reached the hard sand on Dollymount beach the female runner went past the tall guy and started pulling ahead. Hmmm ... not a pacer then - just a very handy wind shield. I followed and, running almost side by side but half a stride behind her, we started making our way up the field on the long beach section.

The breeze had become a crosswind here but we were still running into it and having to work hard. Missed the third mile split (7:15) but from glancing at the watch every now and then I could tell we were right on target pace. At some point I edged slightly ahead of her and she immediately tucked in behind me; so suddenly I almost thought she had stopped but I look over my shoulder confirmed she was right behind. Must say I didn't mind at all and, in fact, this last section on the beach was one of the highlights of the race: taking a pull at the front into the wide open space, pushing hard to stay on pace was a fantastic feeling.

The first thing I noticed as we finally turned off the beach was how quiet it was; almost as if somebody had suddenly turned off the wind machine. Declined the offer of a bottle at the first water station and completed the fourth mile (7:13) as we turned onto the Causeway Road. Without any noticeable change in effort, and with a tailwind behind us, the pace shot up to below 7' miles and my immediate reaction was to slow it down a bit. At this point my female companion pulled up alongside me and I took the opportunity to ask if she was aiming for a particular time. I had to chuckle when she said her only goal was to get back home to Trim in time for the babysitter. She hit the front again, we continued making good progress down the causeway and the fifth mile beeped in 6:54 shortly after the right turn onto the promenade. Back into a slight crosswind for the very long stretch to the turnaround, the pace for the next mile dropped to 7:14 but I was still feeling good.

Three very smooth-looking leaders went past heading the other way, then a bit of a gap before a steady flow of small groups and solo runners ahead of the large crowd with the 90' pacer. Eventually we hit the turnaround point and immediately the pace jumped to well inside 7' miles (~6:4x or so). Grabbed a water bottle and struggled to swallow much of it but at least managed to rinse my mouth a bit. My companion took a gel, put her foot down and started pulling ahead. At this point I decided it was time to run my own race and not give chase but at least try to keep the effort going.

After the pace increase, the 7th mile beeped at 6:58. I was working hard, still feeling very much in control but thinking that a small boost might be beneficial, I tore open the small packet of Haribo I had with me and popped two or three into my mouth to let them dissolve slowly. Probably a phsychological boost more than anything else.

Enjoyed the counterflow section and getting the odd shout of encouragement from work colleagues heading the other way, and completed the 8th mile in 7' flat shortly before the sharp left hander back onto the causeway and again into a headwind. Here I found myself behind a Naas AC runner and decided to follow him, mainly to get some shelter from the wind and partly because he seemed to be running strongly. The wind made this section tough-going and as a result the next mile came in at 7:18.

Back onto the sand still tucked behind Naas AC. The field was well spreadh out here but slowly, with his quick choppy stride, he managed to reel in a couple of lone runners along this long stretch. Missed the 10 mile point but I could see the pace struggling as the effort started to bite and by my reckoning the 1h35 target was going to be touch and go. Feeling the pinch, I popped another couple of the emergency Haribo into my mouth hoping they'd have an effect, but it was really having metronomical Naas AC to hang onto that was absolutely crucial during this section and I just tried to focus on simply staying with him until the end of the beach. Just about managed it, and in the process completed the two sandy miles in 7:11 and 7:14.

Climbing the short steep bank was cruel on the legs but finally turning off the crosswind and back onto tarmac was a relief. Naas AC said the hard work was done and we were on for 1:34 if we could just keep the legs ticking over. As we were approaching the wooden bridge again, I caught a second wind (probably quite literally) and I started to pull ahead. With strength returning I said to myself 'let's go for it', poured the rest of my water on the back of the neck and on my legs, spat out the Haribo fragments I still had in my mouth and lifted the pace. Shap turn off the bridge, discarded the water bottle next to a bin and felt like I was flying it. Mile 12 beeped in 6:56 and I just kept pushing, chasing one or two runners ahead that had blown and were clearly going backwards. Kept waiting for the inevitable fade but the legs were still going strong when mile 13 beeped in 6:42 and stayed strong all the way, taking one more scalp just before punching the air and crossing the line just inside 1:33 on the clock. Job done!

Post Race

Waited to thank Naas AC for his pacing and his help dragging me along the tough section. Looked around for the female runner who had also been instrumental in my great race but she was probably on her way home already. Threw on some layers and met up for a short chat with a couple of people from work, then set off on a very ginger cool-down mile before wrapping up some more and tucking into a more than welcome bowl of soup. The ride home was a slow affair but gave me time to reflect on the race and make a couple of decisions I had been pondering: one, to sit out Jingle Bells and give the legs a break; two, to not enter the ballot for next year's DCM.

Delighted. A true runner's high. The chip time of 1:32:47 is a 5 minute PB and is of course a fantastic outcome but the real highlight was the overall experience and the feeling during the race, the sustained hard effort, the 'racing' ... difficult to put into words.

Further analysis shows a negative split and another strong finish, with the last 10 (whole) miles the fastest of the race and well inside 71', which is my lowest 10 mile time ever by far. Was there much left in the tank? Perhaps a small bit but I think it was a well-judged effort and not far from the tipping point.

Chip time: 1:32:47 (PB)
Position: 103/1453
Splits: 7:17 7:18 7:15 7:13 6:54 - 7:14 6:58 7:00 7:18 7:11 - 7:14 6:56 6:42 0:19
Avg pace: 7:05/mi
Avg HR: 164 bpm
Age grading: 68.98%


Sun 1/12 -- Rest

Weekly total: 29.5 miles

Mon 9/12 -- 5.1 mile recovery @ 9:57/mi (Avg HR: 136 bpm)

Still in recovery mode so stuck to a few easy miles on the flat sections of the park and to the far end of the village. Was planning on 1h but wrapped it up after 5 miles. Still a bit breezy out there after the storm.

Tue 10/12 -- 1h aerobic: 6.6 miles @ 9:13/mi (Avg HR: 140 bpm)

Early start after a late night. Out after breakfast and, finding the park closed, decided to loop around Foxrock and Brennanstown. Blustery but luckily managed to hit a dry window in what was otherwise a very wet morning. Feeling of strength returning to the legs. Lowlight of the run: two people asked me for directions (one to a street across the road from my house) and I managed to send both the wrong way!

Wed 11/12 -- No running. Cycle commute. VB session.

Thu 12/12 -- No running.

Fri 13/12 -- 1h easy: 6.4 miles @ 9:57/mi

More easy miles around Cabinteely and Kilbogget parks.

Sat 14/12 -- No running

Sun 15/12 -- No running. Spin to Enniskerry.

Weekly total: 18.1 miles

Time to bring the old log out of cocooning with a little 'race' report ...

Boards 1 mile TT

I’ve never been an early riser but these last few weeks my body clock has developed some kind of malfunction and wakes me up at 5:30 AM pretty much every single day. Must be the longer summer days or the warmer weather but I can hardly recognise my activity feed with all the early morning runs and spins lately. Some days I’ll try and squeeze in a bit of a snooze but today I thought may as well get on with things before the temperature climbs too much. Didn’t fancy tackling the TT on a completely empty stomach so just munched on half a banana and a small bit of toast with jam, a glass of water, a few drills and out the door by 6:30 … at 14 °C already!

The chosen venue was a mile loop in Kilbogget Park, which I hoped would be fairly empty early on a Saturday, with the fallback option of using the track if I didn’t get out early enough. The loop is one mile exactly, so zero net elevation, and fairly flat. When run anticlockwise it ends on a slightly uphill drag, although to me it always feels like it’s uphill the whole way around.

I cut across Cabinteely Park on the way and was half-tempted to just stay there and do the TT on a flat grass field that was nicely shaded but decided to go check out Kilbogget as planned. Just one or two walkers in sight so OK on that front but already heating up nicely in the sunshine. Incorporated a fast sharp uphill burst into the end of the warm-up to get the heart pumping, then a few stretches and a couple more strides on the track before a slow walk to the starting line, trying to get a bit of a breather and settle down. Mile workout programmed on the Garmin, path clear up ahead, deep breath, go.

Target was 6:15 based on the recent 5k TT but was of course hoping to do better, and secretly hoping to get close to 6 minutes. A slight downhill start coupled with the initial burst of adrenaline and the Garmin was showing a 5:4x early pace; not to worry - very soon the gradient changes and a gentle drag puts the brakes on and leaves the legs in no doubt they'll have to do a bit of work. A 90-degree left hander and shortly after, by the next bench on the right, is the first quarter mile marker. Quick glance at the watch: 1:33. So far so good – now keep the effort going this next quarter mile. Conscious attempt to stay relaxed and controlled. Coming up to the slightly narrower chicane between the playground and the small astro pitch, and of course the only dog walker in the whole park is here, with his small pooch off the lead. Thankfully the mutt isn’t interested in a passing runner and I manage to negotiate this section safely. Next target is the half-way point by the exercise machine on the left. Quick glance at the watch: distance covered = 0.45 miles!? Cue brief moment of confusion until I spot another exercise machine a bit further on, but when I eventually get there I fail to register my split. Only half way and the brain already struggling.

Onto the third quarter and the make or break section of a mile race. Pace biting and form starting to go but try to keep it flowing – remember all those YouTube videos of middle distance races you’ve watched and how smooth the pros looked. As if! Now heading towards the only sharp corner of the loop; normally you’d swing wide to the right side of the path then cut across the apex and slingshot the other side, using up the full width of the path on both entry and exit to the corner. Already some distance away I spot trouble ahead: a lone walker heading towards the corner from the other side and, of course, we’re going to converge right on the corner. I can’t hog the path this time so have to cut the corner, across the grass, in order to maintain a sensible distance. Hopefully no significant time lost but could have done without the worry.

Well over half way and really working hard now. The 3/4 mile marker is by the next bench on the right but I’m under too much pressure to register my time. With 300m to go I power up a short ramp and onto the final straight, a gentle uphill drag all the way to the end of the loop. Breathing gone into overdrive and no point looking at the watch now - just bl**dy push. Past the bench on the right that is the 100m to go marker and push, push, push. It feels like something is going to give in any second when finally, and thankfully, the Garmin beeps the end of the workout and I just collapse onto the grass by the side of the path panting heavily: 6:18.87.

Very tough but very enjoyable at the same time. A bit disappointed with the time but probably a fair reflection of where fitness is at the moment. Around this time last year I ran a mile TT comfortably inside 6 minutes. That was coming to the end of a 12 week 10k-specific training block but I'm a long way from that level now ... and also a year older!

Still, as I mentioned on the TT thread, the enjoyment of race day has helped restore the motivation that had been waning a little these last few weeks, so glad I got on with it in the end instead of pulling the plug as I was seriously tempted to do during the week.

What's next? Spend the rest of the month topping up the base building I've been doing for the last while then jump onto a middle-distance specific training block for the next 8 or 12 weeks (need to put together a suitable plan) to focus on shorter distances for a change. Hopefully getting the log re-started will help keep things on track.

Mon 8/6 -- 5 miles easy @ 9:42/mi (Avg HR: 130 bpm)

Just an easy few miles after work on another warm evening. Spotted a couple of groups in Kilbogget already taking advantage of the nice weather and the easing of restrictions in terms of group sport activities (soccer, tag rugby?). A tiny bit of tiredness in the legs but breathing well under control and kept the HR below 135 bpm on average.

Tue 9/6 -- Rest

Wed 10/6 -- 45' aerobic with strides: 4.75 miles @ 9:33/mi (Avg HR: 135 bpm)

Another easy few miles just doing laps of the flat grass field in Cabinteely Park but this time I added a few strides in the middle to get the legs turning over a bit. Experimented with a higher cadence (~150) than usual (~140) for an easy run.

Thu 11/6 -- Mini 'tempo' session - 7 miles @ 9:20/mi (Avg HR: 138 bpm)

Set off towards Foxrock planning on 1h aerobic but after 4 miles decided to push the HR into the low/mid 150s for 8' just to get a bit of a taste for tempo work again. I didn't measure it accurately but the average pace was probably in the low 8 minutes/mile on a mostly uphill stretch.

Fri 12/6 -- Morning cycle: 7 miles in 40' (86m)

A bit pressed for time so just a short leg-stretch after breakfast around Foxrock and Leopardstown.

Sat 13/6 -- Afternoon cycle: 26.7 miles in 3h (610m)

A leasurely and very scenic afternoon spin from Roundwood to Laragh (via Oldbridge) then back via Moneystown. The usual rolling terrain of Wicklow including a few punchy climbs thrown in for good measure. A bit tired afterwards.

Sun 14/6 -- Long run: 10.5 miles in 1h45m @ 9:58/mi (Avg HR: 138 bpm)

Same hilly loop as last week. Beautiful day in comparison; windstill but very warm and, although thankfully a lot of the route was nicely shaded, struggled a bit with the heat in the more exposed sections so tried to really back off the effort to keep it within the aerobic range as much as possible. Left knee showing a tiny bit of discomfort during the second half of the run - definitely a rest day tomorrow.

Weekly total (run): 27.3 miles (44 km)
Weekly total (bike): 33.8 miles (54 km)

Mon 22/6 -- Rest

Tue 23/6 -- 1h easy: 6.1 miles @ 9:56/mi (Avg HR: 130 bpm)

A repeat of Friday's loop (minus the strides this time) around Clonkeen and Kilbogget parks. As is the trend lately, very muggy already first thing in the morning; there were a few spots of rain along the way and was hoping for the heavens to open and cool things down but no such luck. The legs settled into a very easy pace and just kept the HR below 135 most of the way.

Wed 24/6 -- 7.3 miles @ 10:07/mi (Avg HR: 131 bpm)

Unusually for me, I hooked up with a friend for an easy run in the late afternoon sun. Cabinteely Park was heaving so we decided to head off towards the countryside, following a shortened version of Saturday's LSR: up Puck's Castle Lane, down across Rathmichael Woods and then back via Cherrywood and the unpleasant N11. Chatting away and not paying close attention to the watch, it felt like we were motoring along at a higher clip than on Saturday -particularly on the uphills- but the average pace and HR turned out to be very similar.

Thu 25/6 -- Morning cycle: 10.6 miles in 76' (80m)

Leasurely spin along Dublin Bay from Blackrock to the Forty Foot and back home. Another nice sunny morning.

Fri 26/6 -- Afternoon cycle: 34.3 miles in 3h18m (821m)

Spin to Roundwood and back via Enniskerry and Long Hill; 1h48m on the way out and 90' flat on the way back.

Sat 27/6 -- 1h easy inc. Cabinteely freedom run (Avg HR: 138 bpm)

Plenty of showers around but somehow managed to time the run with a dry sunny spell. Decided to follow the Cabinteely parkrun course; it was meant to be an easy run but allowed the HR to drift into the mid 140s on the uphills and used the downhills to bring it back under control. A nice run in muggy conditions again.

Sun 28/6 -- No running

Didn't get out during the morning and then other things got in the way so the planned long run gets pushed into next week. A low (running) mileage week but sleep hasn't been great so another day off will do no harm.

Weekly total (run): 19.4 miles (31 km)
Weekly total (bike): 44.9 miles (72 km)

Mon 6/7 -- AM: short cycle - PM: 5 mile aerobic @ 9:09/mi (Avg HR: 137 bpm)

Tue 7/7 -- 3 mile recovery @ 11:26/mi (Avg HR: 127 bpm)

Wed 8/7 -- Rest

Thu 9/7 -- Workout: 6 x 0.3 mile

My intention this week was to start adding to my training quality sessions with a focus on middle distance. Due to the closure of the public libraries, I ended up with a long term loan of a copy of Daniels' Running Formula, which includes training plans for 800m and 1.5/3k distances. The plans include 2 or 3 quality sessions per week, which I know I won't be able to handle, so I'll be using them as a guideline rather than follow them rigidly. With no target races on the horizon, the main objective is to develop a taste for middle distance training. The outcome of the recent TTs put me at a VDOT of 46 so will use that to determine interval paces.

By chance, today I met up with a couple of buddies and they suggested a few speed intervals, so I was happy to go along with that. The 'session' was very informal and the intervals were just running the length of the pitches in Clonkeen Park, which turned out to be roughly a third of a mile.

The splits were remarkably consistent (1:51 1:50 1:51 1:51 1:50 1:50) and the average pace measured by the Garmin increased progressively with each interval from 6:22 to 6:08 per mile. Standing recoveries were not strictly timed and ranged between 1:35 and 2:17.

In summary, about 1.8 miles at pace and 7.1 miles altogether for the day. Happy enough with that.

Fri 10/7 -- Two cycles: 9.16 miles in 45' (94m) + 15.6 miles in 1h20m (64m)

Sat 11/7 -- VB + 12.5 mile cycle

Sun 12/7 -- Afternoon spin to Enniskerry: 19.6 miles in 1h33m (461m)

Weekly total (run): 15.2 miles (24.5 km)
Weekly total (bike): 63.8 miles (103 km)

Mon 20/7 to Sun 26/7 No running

A week of hiking and cycling in the Beara and Sheep's Head peninsulas. No running at all but hopefully the very rolling terrain of West Cork will have help keep things ticking over.

Weekly total (run): 0 miles (0 km)
Weekly total (bike): 74.1 miles (120 km)

Mon 3/8 -- Aerobic run: 6.25 miles @ 8:52/mi (Avg HR: 138 bpm)

Warm evening on the bank holiday Monday for a few easy miles around Clonkeen and Kilbogget parks. Felt really good from the off. Pushed the pace a little but kept the average HR in the 142-144 range.

Tue 4/8 -- Recovery run: 2.95 miles @ 11:56/mi

Late evening trot around the Park with D. Very gentle. Calves feeling a little tight.

Wed 5/8 -- Aerobic run: 3.5 miles @ 9:40/mi (Avg HR: 128 bpm)

A very late run on a very balmy evening (17-18°C at 9:30 PM). Settled into a nice groove and just did a few laps of the soccer pitches in the Park. HR in the mid 130s.

Thu 6/8 -- Rest

Fri 7/8 -- Workout: 4 x (2 x 200m + 1 x 400m) @ R pace with equal length jog recoveries

Out the door before breakfast and headed down to the Kilbogget track sporting a new pair of Asterias I had picked up over a year ago and had not seen the light of day yet. The new mile PB translates into a VDOT of 50 so I chose the target R interval times accordingly: 43" for 200m and 87" for 400m. Mile pace essentially.

It took a couple of reps to lock onto the target pace but after that it was very much spot on. Recoveries were mostly around 90" after the 200s and about 3' between sets. The numbers give the impression that this was an easy session but it was nothing of the sort. After the first set I was already wondering how on earth I had managed to run a whole mile at this pace, without recoveries, just a week earlier and after the 3rd set I actually sat down for a few seconds to catch my breath before I decided to try and coax the legs into another set. Tough session but a great feeling of achievement afterwards. Total of 7.8 miles for the day.

Splits:
42 45 - 87
42 43 - 88
43 43 - 86
42 43 - 87

Sat 8/8 -- 4.5(ish) miles easy + VB

Had arranged to meet a buddy for a (not)parkrun in Cabinteely but my legs were in no mood to tackle this at even close to his intended pace so I was very relieved to get there and find somebody else happy to set off with him, thereby relieving me of my social 'duty' to keep his company. Instead, I went round at recovery pace with one of the older regulars and partway through the last lap stopped to chat and walk with somebody else I bumped into. VB session in the afternoon.

Sun 9/8 -- Rest

Weekly total (run): 25 miles (40 km)
Weekly total (bike): 18 miles (29 km)

Mon 17/8 -- 1h aerobic: 6 miles @ 9:57/mi (Avg HR: 137 bpm)

A few evening miles in Cabinteely Park in a welcome light drizzle. Started with a few laps of the soccer pitches before zig-zagging my way progressively to the top of the hill trying to keep the HR under control. Really enjoyable run.

Tue 18/8 -- No running. VB session.

Wed 19/8 -- Workout: 3 x 1 mile @ T + 4 x 200m @ R with

Squeezed this in before work to get ahead of storm Ellen. A 20' or so tempo session broken up as 3 x 1 mile intervals (6:54 target pace) on the Kilbogget mile loop with 3' jog recoveries, followed by 4 x 200m on the track at mile pace (43" target) with 200m jog recoveries.

The tempo intervals felt a bit on the upper end of the comfortably hard spectrum and the recoveries were arguably generous but still a good workout nonetheless. The left calf started tightening up slightly on the last couple of 200s so just wrapped it up and headed home with a total of 8 miles for the morning.

Splits (recoveries):
6:53 6:52 6:55 (3:12 3:17 2:54)
46 44 44 44 (1:36 1:24 1:38)

Thu 20/8 -- 5.2 miles easy @ 9:50/mi (Avg HR: 127 bpm)

Warm afternoon again. Recovery run effort so kept to the lower and flatter sections of the Park.

Fri 21/8 -- No running. VB session + 14 mile cycle.

Sat 22/8 -- 6 mile aerobic inc. (not)parkrun @ 9:00/mi (Avg HR: 137 bpm)

Met a few folks for a (not)parkrun in Cabinteely. They tore off but I decided to keep to a more steady effort, only pushing a bit more on the uphills. The legs didn't have much zip at the start so I doubt I would have been able to keep up with them even if I had wanted to (they went through the 1st km in about 4:10-4:15 whereas I did it in a more leisurely 5' flat) but they felt better as the run progressed and I finished the last hill reasonably strongly. Total of 6 miles including before and after jogs.

Sun 23/8 -- Long run: 8 miles @ 9:06/mi (Avg HR: 141 bpm)

Warm and breezy afternoon for a long run around Kilbogget and Clonkeen parks. Started off at 9' mile pace and kept it there for most of the run, with the HR in the low to mid 140s, except during the more exposed stretches into the breeze. Felt really strong today until fatigue started creeping in during the last couple of miles and my left calf was tightening up a little.

Really enjoyed watching the Nationals afterwards, in particular the 5000m and the amazingly close 1500m final.

Weekly total (run): 33.2 miles (53 km)
Weekly total (bike): 14.1 miles (23 km)

Lambay island wrote: »

Whats the surface like on that track/path around kilbogget Park? Is it 400 metres?

It's a 400m track but the surface is rubbish: hard as a rock with a thin layer of loose gravel on top. The only thing going for it is that it's flat and you can measure your intervals and pace accurately but otherwise it probably adds an extra challenge to the workouts. Still, it's a ten minute jog from home and, perhaps strangely, I just love running there.

Perhaps a log update will give me the kick up the backside I need.

Not much action since the end of August. Family holiday for a few days at the start of September meant no running done but I was happy to give the body a bit of a rest and allow a very mild hamstring niggle a chance to clear up. Back in Dublin I managed an easy 5 miler on 12 Sep and a 3h spin in Wicklow the following day but last week was almost a complete blank; just a 6 miler on Saturday at a higher than usual HR for an easy run, so fitness is probably starting to slip.

Need to think about how to stay motivated without a clear goal. Normally at this time of the year I'd be looking forward to a few XC races but, not being in a club and with the BHAA completely silent since March, I'm not expecting any XC action this winter.